Give business a voteIn the debate about whether on or not the voting methods for City of Sydney elections should be reformed, opponents have missed the point.Businesses and property owners are already given the right to vote under the law as it stands. The goal of any reform is simply to treat the non-residential voting roll the same as the residential roll. Non-residential voters are currently expunged from the electoral roll and must re-enrol before each local government election. This creates unnecessary difficulty for those legitimately seeking to exercise their franchise. We think they should be afforded the same rights as other voters.It’s as simple as that: a desire for a standing electoral roll. At its core, the property industry comprises patient investors in assets that provide a stable income stream to millions of superannuation holders. We believe in cities because we commit to them for the long haul. But we don’t see this as a reform limited to the City of Sydney. We’ve urged members of parliament of all shades to make this reform about local government more broadly – particularly in areas with large commercial sectors, like Parramatta.This should not be a debate about personalities or party politics, or limited to the City of Sydney.Instead, we support the franchise of the constituency which does the heavy lifting for the coffers of councils everywhere – and we know that good representatives will be elected when they work in the interests of their voters.To read the newspaper article click here.
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